News Release

Trump Overrides Minimal Protections in Yemen War

August 21, 2018

SHIREEN AL-ADEIMI, aladeimi@msu.edu, @shireen818
Originally from Yemen, Al-Adeimi is an assistant professor of education at Michigan State University.

She just co-wrote the piece “Trump Quietly Overrides What Little Civilian Protections Remain in Yemen War,” which states: “With little public attention, President Donald Trump used his August 13 signing statement for the $716 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to override restrictions aimed at minimizing civilian deaths in the U.S.-Saudi war on Yemen. The move came just days after the Saudi-led coalition struck a school bus in Yemen’s northern Saada province with a U.S.-supplied and manufactured bomb, killing 54 people, 44 of them children.
The signing statement is the latest evidence that, after three years and tens of thousands killed, the Trump administration has no intention of curbing its role in the bloody war it inherited from Obama. The United States supplies arms, intelligence and aerial refueling of Saudi and United Arab Emirates (UAE) warplanes — and gives political cover to the war. …

“Even before it reached Trump’s desk, the NDAA was a giveaway to the president, handing him a historically high military budget, which earmarks $21.9 billion for nuclear weapons, despite the president’s proven willingness to threaten nuclear annihilation on a whim. The bill sailed through Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support, backed by key Democrats purportedly leading the #Resistance — even as they claim the president is unhinged and dangerous, and publicly criticize the war in Yemen. Among the yes votes was Ted Lieu, a vocal Trump critic who — when news of the school bus bombing hit — expressed concern that the U.S. role in Yemen ‘could qualify as aiding and abetting these potential war crimes.'”

Al-Adeimi’s past pieces for In These Times magazine include “Fine Print in Defense Bill Acknowledges U.S.-Backed War in Yemen Will Go On Indefinitely” and “Attack on Yemen Port Shows U.S.-Backed Coalition Willing To Use Starvation as a Weapon.” She recently appeared on “Worldview” on WBEZ and the program “Democracy Now!”